from the right honourable baronet that night, the time for a compromise had not passed, and that now every one must take his part in this. question either on the one side or the other. If the right honourable gentleman, and those who thought with hind, were of opinion that it was wise to lay this stress on all the objections to a fixed day, it would be idle, and worse than idle, to make such a proposition. Then the question resolved itself into this—were they to have the existing Corn Law, or was the importation of Corn to be free? (Cheers.). That was the point to which the right honourable gentleman wished to bring the matter, and that was the question he wished to bring to issue. He (Lord Howick) adhered to the opinion from which he had never swerved, and which he had maintained at all times and at all places—in that House and on the hustings of a purely agricultural county; and when this question was brought to issue, his choice would be without hesitation, or one moment's delay, in favour of the free importation of corn."
Mr. Villiers with great force pointed out the degrading position of Sir Robert Peel in relation to the monopolists in the house and out of it. He said:
"Whatever might be the consequences to the people, there had gone forth a decree from the landed interest that if there was the slightest change in the system, the least alteration, or if the protection was to be in any way diminished, the ministers would not be allowed to retain their places. (Loud cheers.) It might be said that this had been the practical working of the constitution, and such intimations might have been privately given to the minister, but he had never before known anything so indecent or haughty, and so dictatorial, as he had recently heard uttered at public meetings (ministerial cheers, and counter cheers from the opposition),—that a minister should be openly threatened with expulsion if he did not do what was most injurious to the community at large, unless he maintained such a system as would put most rent into the pockets of the great dictators themselves. (Loud cheers.) Noble dukes gave the sign, and the squireens followed. (Cheers.) There was not a term of abuse which was not lavished on the right honuarable baronet. He (Mr. Villiers) had no objection to the right honourable gentleman. If any one were to administer such a system, no one could doubt either his competency or his capacity; his only regret was that the right honourable baronet had not, if he might use the term, the spirit to turn round upon these people and show then their utter helplessness without him, their utter inability to administer without him the government upon their own system. (Cheers.) Now, with all their rank and property and pride, they would fall were it not for the person who had talents and
